Don't Drink The Gene Juice

10

"Okay everyone," Mrs. Patterson said, "you'll need a partner for this assignment, so find someone who you're okay spending a few weeks outside class working with."

Jenna shrank down in her chair as the other students in her Marine Biology class shuffled places. It was her favorite class, but like everything the past few days of being back at school, all the fun had been sucked out of it, by some sort of great big... fun... sucker. Thing.

Jenna dropped her head down on her table, cursing her stupid long hair falling all around her.

"Jenna?"

She sat back up straight. A guy had sat down next to her. He had jet black hair, and looked like he had slight asian descent. What was his name... Tommy. She thought that was right.

"What?"

"Do you want to be my partner?" he asked. "You might not remember me."

"Tommy right?"

He nodded. "And... you are going by Jenna now?"

Jenna made an exasperated exhale. "Yeah."

"I heard about what happened to you," he said. "That must be tough."

"At least I haven't been beat up," Jenna said. "No, that was what people did in simpler times. Now they just destroy your reputation on social media and laugh out you in complete secrecy."

Tommy cringed.

"That bad is it?"

"Some of it," Tommy said. "But there are people that are fighting back against the meaner people. I've been trying to."

A genuine smile came to Jenna's face. "Thanks Tommy."

"If everyone is settled, "Mrs. Patterson said, "talk with your partner about what kind of coastal life you want to study. Exchange information so that you can find times to meet. Although you only need to log one hour of field work for this assignment, I'd encourage you to take advantage of the fact that the ocean is right next to us, and will be much more interesting to study in person than reading from a textbook."

Jenna turned her attention back to Tommy.

"So...," he said, "I heard that along with becoming a girl, you also became a mermaid."

Jenna closed her eyes, annoyed at the thought. "Yes."

"I was thinking that might be a useful skill in this situation."

"No deal," Jenna said, "I ain't doing it. You aren't partnering with me just to take advantage of that are you?"

Tommy recoiled back. "I, uh, well, I did want to be partners with you because you can become a mermaid. But it wasn't to take advantage of you."

"Why then?"

"Because," Tommy said. He hesitated, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm a merman."

Jenna raised an eyebrow. "Really? What compelled you to chug some gene juice?"

Tommy fidgeted nervously. "I... I wanted to be one. I think they're cool."

Jenna was lost in thought for a moment.

"Whatever," she said, "I'm still not doing it."

"Oh c'mon Jenna," he said, "partnering with anyone else will just slow me down. And plus, you're like the only other merperson our age around here. I've always wanted to swim with a fellow mer."

She shook her head. "I'm never going to let myself become a mermaid."

"You're never going to swim ever again?"

Jenna groaned. "You're making this difficult."

"C'mon," Tommy said. "if you don't like it, I'll do the rest of the project."

"I'm not letting you do that."

"Jenna," he said. "How do you expect to do the assignment without getting in the water? You'll have to do it unless you let me do it for you."

Jenna was silent, cradling her head in her hand, a stress headache going on in her brain.

"Please?" Tommy pleaded, "I promise, being a mer is actually a lot of fun."

"What if someone sees me?" Jenna asked.

"Then we'll swim out far away from where anyone might be."

Jenna sighed. "Fine. But I'm only doing it the one time we need to."

"Yes!" Tommy quietly cheered. "I'm going to hold you to that."

"Sure," Jenna said. "Whatever. I guess we're supposed to trade numbers now?"

"Yeah."

Tommy had laid his phone on the table ready for her to transfer her number. She opened her contacts app, held her phone over his, and her number appeared on his phone.

"Make no mistake," she said, "this is a one time thing. I don't want you calling me a bunch. And this is not a date."

A bashful look came to Tommy's face. "I... I'm sorry. It's just... someone told me that you were bi..."

Jenna pressed her palm into her face, groaning. "I'm... I am bi. I just... I don't really want relationships with guys."

"Wouldn't that make you straight?"

"I... augh..."

She knew that she was attracted to guys. She'd had several crushes on guys as far back as elementary school. But Jenna had liked just focusing on girls. When she pretended she didn't like guys, she could just be normal.

Once, when she was with Skylar and Wyatt, they'd been talking about crushes. Jenna, or Seth at the time, had made it super awkward by talking about how cute he thought a guy named Ash was. His friends just hadn't been able to relate.

Now liking guys was the default now that she was Jenna instead of Seth. It was what everyone else found comfortable, except for her. There were lesbian girls at the school, but there were far fewer options.

Jenna sat quietly mulling over her thoughts, as the rest of the class talked about their project. Tommy waited paitently, not getting on his phone.

Hm. That's a nice thing to see.

You know you like guys, she told herself. Wouldn't it be nice to have one that you can swim with?

"You want this to be a date," she asked, "don't you?"

"Yeah," Tommy said hesitantly. "I... I've chatted with you before in class and stuff. It was cool talking to someone who also really liked Marine Biology. But I... when I saw how you look now... I know that this isn't what you're supposed to say, you're supposed to communicate it with signals and everything, but I... think you're attractive."

Jenna fidgeted with her hair. She'd gotten into the habit of doing that lately.

"I guess," she said, "I do think you are kind of cute."

A smile leaped onto Tommy's face. Jenna began to smile a bit too.

"I haven't really tried going on a date with a guy before. But... I guess I can try."

"Okay," Tommy continued to smile. The bell rang. "I'll text you and we can arrange a time to meet. But it doesn't have to be a date if you don't want it to be."

"I... I think I can handle it," Jenna said. "I mean, yeah, I want to make it a date."

"Do you just want to get food or something after we swim, or before maybe?" Tommy asked.

"That's sound good," Jenna agreed.

"Thanks Jenna," Tommy said. "I promise, you'll have a fun time."

She watched him leave the classroom, and then she walked out with the last of her classmates.

She was afraid of that. Of having a fun time.

She groaned.

This was all very irrational.